A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume II, Part 191

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1234

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the country. After having remained for a con- siderable period in the Santa Clara valley, he was led to identify himself with the increasing op- portunities of Los Angeles county and for more than ten years he has made Rivera his home, meanwhile conducting the only lumber yard in the town, also carrying on a hardware business and officiating as manager of the company pre- viously mentioned.

The establishment of the Hanna family in California dates back to the early period of the settlement of this state, when Hon. William Hanna came to the west by way of the Isthmus of Panama. A native of Indiana and descended from an old eastern family, he had spent his life in the Mississippi valley and had engaged in various commercial activities. After settling in Santa Clara county he became extensively inter- ested in the lumber business at Gilroy and aided materially in the development of that town. Pub- lic-spirited to an unusual degree, he rendered ef- ficient service as mayor of Gilroy and as a mem- ber of the California state legislature, to which he. was elected on the Democratic ticket. After a busy existence covering more than four score years he passed away at his Santa Clara home. Early in his manhood he had married Rebecca Creswell, who was born in Ohio and died in Cal- ifornia in 1872, leaving a family of six children, . who attained mature years.

During the spring of 1863 Jacob Hanna ac- companied his parents from Santa Clara county to Los Angeles, where during the following sum- mer he attended a public school held in a small brick building on the corner of Spring and Sec- ond streets, where the Bryson block now stands. In the midst of surroundings bearing little prom- ise of present prosperity, he conned the lessons . taught in the text-books of that day. Mainly, however, his education was obtained in the Gil- roy schools, supplemented by a course in a com- mercial college in San Francisco. After leaving school he became an assistant to his father in the- lumber business at Gilroy. Not wholly satisfied with conditions in that part of the state, he de- cided to avail himself of the opportunities offered by Southern California, and therefore during 1894 came to Whittier. For eighteen months he was employed by the San Pedro Lumber Com- pany, after which he came to Rivera as manager of the lumber business still under his supervision. While still making his home in Santa Clara county he was united in marriage, in 1879, with Miss Clara Ray, daughter of Hon. Thomas Ray, of Gilroy. The three sons born of their union, Thomas R., Walter J., and Samuel C., have re- ceived exceptional advantages, including attend- ance at the California State University. Thom- as R. Hanna is now employed by the United States government as a construction engineer in

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the geodetic survey, and Walter J. Hanna makes his headquarters at Toledo, Ohio, where he is connected with a railroad company.

ALONZO E. HORTON. No man in San Diego occupies a more prominent place than Alonzo E. Horton, who is often spoken of as the father of the city where he has lived from the pioneer days of primitive surroundings to the present, replete with every development that a progressive civilization affords and a common- wealth as great as California can boast. Mr. Hor- ton is a native of Connecticut, where he was born October 24, 1813, a son of Erastus and Try- phena (Burleigh) Horton ; both were natives of Connecticut, the father of English and the mother of Scotch ancestry and both died in San Diego, the former at the age of eighty-seven years and the latter at eighty-five. The Horton family came originally from Leicestershire, England, Barnabas, son of Joseph, emigrating to Hamp- ton, Mass., in 1635, thence going in 1640 to New Haven and in October of the same year to Southold, Long Island.

When two years of age Alonzo E. Horton was taken by his parents to the state of New York, locating in Stockbridge, Madison county, and thence four years later removing to New Haven, Oswego county, same state. His first teacher was Miss Patty Woodward, who taught in the public school of that place. At the age of eleven years the family removed to the shore of Lake Ontario, and it was there that his father had an illness which left him blind. Thenceforward he assisted in the support of the family and after re- turning from school, which was two miles dis- tant, he worked at basket making. He was next occupied in the lumber camps of that vicinity. chopping timber for the demands of Oswego. At the age of twenty years he began to clerk in a store, later was a lake sailor and afterward cap- tain of the Wild Goose, between Oswego and Canada. During the winter of 1834-1835 lie learned the cooper's trade, his specialty being flour barrels. He had early assumed a place in the municipal life of Oswego and about this time he was elected constable by the largest majority ever given any candidate on the Whig ticket. Upon the advice of a physician, who, however, thought him incurably ill with consumption, he came west, and in 1836 landed in Milwaukee, where for a time he was busily engaged in mak- ing investments, all of which showed his keen judgment and business ability. He finally re- turned east and remained until 1840, when he again returned to the middle west and in Oak- land, Wis., purchased a home, to which town his parents removed a little later. Through invest- ments in cattle in Illinois which he sold in Wis-

consin, in one year he increased his capital from $150 to $4,000, which he invested in land war- rants in St. Louis to the extent of fifteen hun- (red acres, where was afterward located the vil- lage of Hortonville, Wis. His first town was buried in the woods, and with eight men he cut a four-mile road to his proposed mill site. By the time he had lots to sell he was sawing lumber with which to improve them, and no proprietor was ever more liberal than Mr. Hor- ton, who cared first that homes should be built regardless of what his remuneration was to be. In a year from the completion of the mill there were one hundred and fifty people living in Hortonville and at the end of two years he sold the remaining property there at a profit of $7,188.

The first trip made by Mr. Horton to Califor- nia was in 1851. Unlike his experiences in other lines of activity he was not successful in mining, so he opened a store at Pilot Hill and constructed a ditch six and one-half miles in length to sup- . ply the miners with water. After a year he sold his waterworks and other interests for $6,500 and was next employed with the Adams Express Company in trading in gold dust, often realiz- ing as much as $30 a day in commissions. Later he managed this business for himself and continued successful, and during this time also was engaged in putting up ice twenty-five miles above Georgetown, this venture netting him for three hundred and twelve tons $8,000. In March, 1856, he took passage on the steamship Cortez, bound for New York via Panama. After the arrival of the steamer in Panama the memorable uprising of the natives occurred, and had it not been for his promptness the mob would have carried out their plan. Nearly two hundred per- sons from the steamer were dining at the hotel when the attack took place, but only three had firearms. The announcement that the rioters were coming caused a stampede from the table to the upper rooms. On bursting into the house the ruffians were halted at the stairway by Mr. Horton and his aides, and a few effective shots drove the assailants into the streets. Immediately a reign of terror began, and there were many who owed their lives to Mr. Horton's steady aim in shooting down their assailants. His cool- ness and bold action succeeded in bringing the passengers together in safety to the ship. He had lost $10,000 biit had the gratification of hav- ing saved many lives. On their arrival in New York the passengers chose Mr. Horton to pro- ceed to Washington and make a statement of the occurrences at Panama in response to a demand from the authorities to that effect. Accepting the appointment he gave his time to a settlement of the claims. A demand for reparation was made by the United States. However, his own

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claim for $10,000 was strenuously opposed by the government of New Granada, who knew the part he had taken in resisting the attack and who wished vengeance for the lives lost among his countrymen. As a compromise Mr. Horton gave up his claim in order that the others might be paid the amount of their losses.

Starting again to the west after the Civil war, Mr. Horton included a trip to British Columbia and engaged in mining in the Caribou district, but not meeting with success gave it up and went on to San Francisco and there tried various ways of retrieving his fortunes. One evening at a private gathering the topic for discussion was San Diego, the value of its harbor and climate, and Mr. Horton at once became inter- ested and after studying over the matter for a brief time he decided to locate here. Within three days his store was closed and the stock sold, and with the proceeds, less than $500, he set out for the south, arriving in San Diego April 6, 1867, and pleased beyond his expecta- tions at once decided to invest and cast in his lot permanently with those who were seeking the advancement of this section.

The history of Mr. Horton's early experiences in San Diego reads like a romance rather than ·as a chapter from real life. His own enthusiasm created that quality in others. When he landed in San Diego bay on the steamer Pacific, which had six passengers and twenty-six tons of freight, he came ashore in a yawl boat. While waiting for a conveyance to old San Diego he walked to the place where the courthouse now stands and at once remarked that the site would be unsurpassed for a city. Going to the old town he found that the six hundred or more acres of level land could be bought by having the land put up and sold to the highest bidder. To do this it was necessary to elect a board of trustees for old San Diego and this Mr. Horton accomp- lished after considerable trouble in convincing the people that regular elections were necessary to the growth and stability of the city. This board was empowered to sell city lands and ac- cordingly the property was legally advertised and sold. A deed to seven hundred and fifty acres was made at twenty-six cents an acre, and the only bidder was Mr. Horton, this being aft- er he had secured a few hundred acres at rather large bids. He then had possession of about one thousand acres of land, and the work of advertis- ing the new city was begun. There were many who predicted failure for him because they did not understand the spirit which animated his work-the untiring energy, pluck and persever- ance, the executive ability and management which characterized his every effort, and through these he won for San Diego what it would have been many years in securing without him. His labors

were untiring from the time he measured off lots and blocks with a tape line and laid out the streets for his workmen to clear from cactus and sage brush until the winter of 1869-1870, when his sales averaged $15,000 a month. From $3,000 in 1867 his receipts increased to nearly $85,000 in 1869. He offered every inducement to pros- pective home builders, giving a lot to any man who would erect a building 12x16 feet in di- mensions, himself investing all the money he re- ceived in improvements to the town, it being safe to say that more than a quarter of a million dollars of his own means went into the making of San Diego. He built the Horton House (which was completed nine months after begin- ning the work at a cost of $150,000) and also Horton's Bank Building, he becoming president of the first bank established in the town. Indeed, there was no matter too great or too small for him to aid by co-operation, a postoffice being established through his influence, a telegraph line after his promise to back it financially, and a competing steamship line to reduce the price of passenger and freight traffic, and which meant no little toward bringing settlers to the new city. In securing a railroad for San Diego Mr. Horton was active, going to Washington, D. C., when he wished to secure the passage of a rail- road bill in Congress for the Texas Pacific, and there interviewed Sunset Cox, member of Con- gress from Ohio, who had been a stanch opponent to the bill. Mr. Cox had been attorney for the Panama men who had sustained a loss during the riot, and Mr. Horton had been the main wit- ness in securing damages for these men, costing the Granada government over $2,000,000, and for this reason he felt very friendly to Mr. Horton and was ready to listen to his arguments. Finally he withdrew his opposition to the bill, which was passed with the amendment that fifty miles a year were to be built east from San Diego and west from Fort Yuma.

Mr. Horton had married in Wisconsin Miss Sally Millington Wright, who was born in New York and died in Jefferson county, Wis. His second marriage united him with Miss Sarah Wilson Babe, who died while on a visit to the east. His present wife was Lydia M. Knapp. a native of Massachusetts, and together they are rounding out the years of a well-spent life amid the accomplished efforts of one of California's most honored pioneers.

EMMONS E. MARSHALL. At the time Mr. Marshall located in California in 1873 the most interesting epoch in his life was brought to a close, for all who have followed the sea for any length of time will admit that the con- stant shifting of scenery and varied experiences

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of sea life have a fascination which the landsman can never know. With an experience of several years of seafaring to his credit he came to South- ern California nearly thirty-five years ago, and in the mean time has experienced the vicissitudes of pioneer life, intermingled with hair-breadth escapes from the wily Indian's tomahawk, which at the time were exciting in the extreme and have since formed the basis for many an even- ing's story.

The Marshall family was one of the oldest to settle on New England soil, for it is known that the immigrating ancestor established the family in Dracut, Mass., in 1635, and succeeding generations have continued to add luster to a name already well known in the Mother country. When the war between England and the colonies disturbed the peace of both countries members of the Marshall family took sides with the colo- nists and assisted in winning their independence. It was from such sturdy stock that Horatio N. Marshall was descended, his birth occurring in Newburyport, Mass., where throughout his life he followed his trades of mason and builder. Of his marriage with Mary Varnham a number of children were born, but only three grew to maturity and only two are now living.

Emmons E. Marshall was also born in the locality which has been the home of his ancestors for so many generations, his birth occurring in Lowell, Mass., December 28, 1850, and he was educated in the public and high schools of New- buryport. When he was a lad of fifteen years old he had made up his mind to become self- supporting, his first step in this direction being as clerk in a provision store in Newburyport. From there he went to Boston, where he was employed in a wholesale and retail produce house. It was while in the employ of the latter company that he was enabled from time to time to take sea voyages to the various ports where the company's ships sailed for goods to supply their trade. On one of these expeditions the vessel entered port at St. Johns, Newfoundland, and from there went to Liverpool, after which the plan was to go to East Indies. To the great disappointment of the young sailor however the route was changed, and instead they recrossed the Atlantic and went to New Orleans. It was in 1873 that he came to California by way of Panama, the boat on which he sailed casting anchor in the harbor of San Francisco. As he wished to come to the southern part of the state he boarded another boat for Santa Barbara, and from there came by stage to Los Angeles. The attraction in coming hither was the fact that he had two old friends in Lordsburg. Buying out an apiary which had been established by a set- tler he engaged in bee culture in Live Oak cañon for a number of years, an enterprise which was

broken into in 1878, in which year he returned to his home in Massachusetts for a visit The following year he resumed the work which had been temporarily discontinued and until 1880 was interested in bee culture. In that year he went to Benson, Ariz., carrying on a meat market there for one year. From Arizona he went to the San Samon valley, where until the breaking up of camp he carried on a freighting business between Galeyville and the Cherokow mountain mine. Subsequently he was similarly engaged, freighting supplies to Clifton, Morenci and Globe, all in Arizona, and it was while on one of his ex- peditions to Morenci that five men who were hauling quartz ore for the same company were killed by the Indians.

It was in 1883 that Mr. Marshall returned to California and in Los Angeles county purchased forty acres of land near what is now Claremont. The land bore little or no improvement, but he cul- tivated it and made it his home for many years, finally selling it in 1903 as an addition to the town of Claremont. In the meantime, in 1886, he entered the employ of Richard Gird, having charge of one of his meat markets in Pomona until the time of the boom, when, as did many others, he went into the real-estate business. The close of the boom again found him in Mr. Gird's employ, and in 1892 he purchased one of his employer's shops and has since retained the business, his present location being at No. 176 West Second street. The growth of the business has made the assistance of a partner necessary, and under the firm name of Marshall & Beeks a flourishing business is conducted. His investments in real estate have been widely made, and included among other properties are his own residence and the post-office building.

In Pomona Mr. Marshall was married to Miss Eva Borden, a native of Minnesota, and three children have brightened their home life, Edith, Horatio, and Jane. Mrs. Marshall is a devoted member of the Congregational Church. Politi- cally Mr. Marshall is a Republican.

J. J. LASWELL. As an industrious, en- terprising and progressive man, J. J. Laswell has for a number of years been actively identi- fied with the leading interests of San Luis Rey, and is a worthy representative of its skilful and prosperous agriculturists. A son of the late Uriah Laswell, he was born, June 25, 1862, in Rockcastle county, Ky., where he was reared and educated.

A native of Kentucky, Uriah Laswell was born March 24, 1833. A farmer from choice, he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in his na- tive state for many years, accumulating some money. Migrating then to Missouri, he pur-

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chased two hundred and twenty acres of land on the Platte river, and by means of energetic toil and wise management improved a valuable ranch, on which he resided until his death, in 1900. A man of strong personality, he obtained a position of influence in his Missouri home, be- coming one of the leading Democrats of the place, and serving for some time as county clerk. Fra- ternally he was a Mason and both he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church, with which they united when young. His wife, whose maiden name was Caroline French, spent her entire life in Kentucky, dying at a comparatively early age. Of the eight children born of their union, seven are living, one son, besides J. J., being a resident of California.

Having completed his early education in the common schools of Kentucky, J. J. Laswell as- sisted his father in the care of the home ranch, obtaining a practical knowledge of general farm- ing and horse breeding and raising. Leaving the parental roof when twenty years of age, he came to California in search of riches, and for about eight years worked in the silver mines of San Bernardino county. Locating in the San Luis Rey valley about 1890, he first purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land at Vista, and having improved it subsequently disposed of it at an advantage. Purchasing then a ranch at San Luis Rey, he devoted his time and en- ergies to its improvement, and in course of time had a large part of its one hundred and twenty- eight acres in a tillable condition, and in addition to raising corn and alfalfa became one of the leading dairymen of this section of the valley, keeping about thirty cows. In 1906 Mr. Las- well sold this property, and moved to Chino, San Bernardino county, where he purchased an alfal- fa ranch.

October 13, 1888, Mr. Laswell married Cather- ine Hughes, who was born in Wales, and came to California with her parents in 1887. Her father, Dana Hughes, died in California, but her mother is still living. Of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Laswell six children were born. Politically Mr. Laswell is an adherent of the Democratic party, and fraternally he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Re- ligiously both Mr. and Mrs. Laswell are con- sistent and valued members of the Baptist Church.

HENRY HERBERT MAREAN. It is not the good fortune of everyone who enters a new and untried field of endeavor to meet with the success which has followed the efforts of Mr. Marean since he came to the west in 1897. Pre- ceded by years devoted exclusively to mercan- tile life in the middle west he came to California

in the year just mentioned with the determina- tion to make the most of the chances which were here offered, in spite of the handicap of having had no experience whatever in the line of his new undertaking. Through an investment com- pany with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., he had previously purchased twenty acres of land near Highland, San Bernardino county, on rural route No. 2, and hither he came to take possess- ion of the property in 1897. The ranch is de- voted entirely to the cultivation of oranges, be- ing divided about equally as to sweets and navels. Mr. Marean has greatly enhanced the value and appearance of his property by the erec- tion of a fine residence and suitable barns, and with the aid of horses and the requisite imple- ments he has been able to accomplish results far beyond what he had dared to hope for when he undertook the work less than a decade ago.

Henry H. Marean is a native of Missouri, born in Sedalia. The years of his boyhood and young manhood were passed within the confines of his native city, where for thirty years he had devoted himself assiduously to the dry goods business. The confinement and routine which it demanded made a change desirable, and through the agency of the investment company afore- mentioned he was enabled to secure not only a desirable piece of property from a financial stand- point, but a delightful home place, surrounded by all material things that make for happiness. In addition to superintending his ranch Mr. Marean is interested in the California Gem Min- ing Company, owners of a quarry of ornamental stone located near Hinkley, San Bernardino county. Mr. and Mrs. Marean have one son.

GEORGE H. MILLER. As showing what may be accomplished by a normal, healthy and ambitious mind which marks out a career for it- self and resolutely goes to work to accomplish results, the case of George H. Miller, of Pomona, affords a lesson strong in interest and vital in its ring of encouragement. The machine shop and garage on Garey near Second street of which Mr. Miller is the proprietor, is the principal es- tablishment of the kind in Pomona, and in order to accommodate his large and increasing trade it is his intention in the near future to open one of the largest and most up-to-date garages in this part of the country. Since the growth of the popularity in automobiles Mr. Miller has added the handling of various makes to his other business, and in his warerooms may be seen the Tourist, Pope, Waverly and other electric machines equally well known. While this latter business is remunerative and represents a large investment of capital, it forms but one line of

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interest, for Mr. Miller is perhaps even better known as an expert in the installation of pump- ing plants, a business in which he has been en- gaged since 1898. As representative for the Fairbanks-Morse Company he began selling their goods in that year, later adding the instal- lation of pumping plants, and in the interim has built up a large business, which extends through- out Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Of Danish descent, George H. Miller was born in Chicago, Ill., May 16, 1870, the son of John and Anna (Larsen) Miller, both born in Denmark. Although in his younger years John Miller was reared as a farmer his love for the sea led to an entire change in the plans as orig- inally marked out for him, and thus it was that the greater part of his active life was spent upon the sea, sailing into almost all of the navigable waters on the globe. He finally drifted to Chi- cago, Ill., and carrying out a plan to give up the sea and begin life anew as a landsman, he followed the trade of painter in that city until removing to Oshkosh, Wis., there working as a fisherman. This, however, proved but a tempo- rary location, for in 1884 he came to California and with his family located in Pomona.

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A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume II, Part 191

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1234